How the Preferred Freelancer Program Helped a Developer Succeed

Pradeep Kumar, a freelance Web developer from Noida, India, said that nearly all of his projects on Freelancer.com come from the website’s Recruiter service. He joined the site in 2014 and was invited to join the elite Preferred Freelancer Program just a few months into it. The program allows freelancers to get high-paying jobs from serious employers through the recruiters.

“Nearly 75 to 80 percent of our income comes from the Recruiter service. They match our skills to the available jobs, and then recommend us to the employers. Honestly, this reduces the effort of finding work because of the smooth process. All you have to do is chat with the client, understand the job requirements, and begin working,” he explained.

From developing using WordPress and PHP at home, Pradeep has since set up a startup and has hired 15 talented developers to work with him full-time in their office. “I worked as an employee for almost two years after graduating from university, but ultimately chose to freelance,” Pradeep said, who has been working independently for five years now.

Prior to settling down at Freelancer.com, he tried three other platforms, but nothing compared to it. “I love the Recruiter service. You can’t find this service anywhere. We reach our monthly earnings easily by using it. Last November, we earned around US$5,200 solely from the projects recommended by the recruiters. We’re very focused on the platform and we’re hoping to reach the US$10,000 mark a few months from now.”

Pradeep said he enjoys this type of employment. During his stint at a couple of companies locally, he found himself unmotivated and tired of the grind. “My situation is definitely much better now than in the past. Growth and learning are continuous and there is always an opportunity to achieve more. Right now, we are increasing in numbers and I’m afraid our current office won’t be enough. We’re eyeing a bigger office to move into in a couple of months.”

Most of the projects they receive range from US$300 to US$3,000. They take their time and make sure that clients are 100 percent satisfied. In the course of their work at Freelancer.com, they have completed 48 quality projects. The most memorable they finished was the website AJGoddard.com. “The requirements were very specific and I’m glad my team did it perfectly. The site was delivered exactly as the client needed and within the allotted time.”

Like all beginners, they had a rough start. But Pradeep and his team persevered until they got into the Preferred Freelancer Program. Here are three things that Pradeep learned early on that helped them get to where they are now:

Work and apply for jobs that match your expertise perfectly. Once you work in the range of your expertise, you are likely to leave a delighted client, which will result in a higher repeat hire rate and a better profile.

Keep clear communication with clients and recruiters. This is key to successful project completion.

Most importantly, maintain a complete and updated profile.

“I’m glad I found Freelancer.com. There is a huge volume of projects that are within our scope on this platform. Our journey has been great so far and I hope to build a great career here,” Pradeep said.